


Unspoken

by guera



Series: Time keeps on slippin' [3]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU timetravel, Gen, outsider pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-07 23:33:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12242790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guera/pseuds/guera
Summary: There are three things that are justknownaboard theEclectorthat nobody really talks about.You don't mess with the kid.Anything Rocket builds is likely to explode. Intentionally.Quill and the Captain are sleeping together.





	Unspoken

Earth Year – 1991

Jaxis wakes up on a Ravanger ship. 

Which is a bit of a shock as he's supposed to be getting married in three weeks, but he finds he's not so bothered to be putting distance between him and (ex) future in-laws. He vaguely remembers a bar the night before, someone asking if he wanted to see the galaxy, and a whole lot of celebrating. He stares at the metal of the bunk above his head and tries to get the pieces to line up properly.

There is a loud banging before the door slides open, causing everyone in the room to groan. 

“Wake up! I don't got all day, let's go.” 

Three other bodies find their feet beside Jaxis and he blearily tries to stand at somewhat of attention next to them. 

“You're on the _Eclector_ if you've gone and forgotten last night,” The man is about Jaxis' age, a head shorter than him, with fine white hair pulled into a knot at the top of his head. He's not being shy about the once over he's giving them. “My name's Tommin.” The man's lips quirk up into a smirk. “I'll be your tour guide this fine morning. Getcha asses dressed and meet me outside.” Tommin's eye's narrowed before adding, “An' be quick about it.” Without even waiting on a reply, he turns and leaves, the door hissing shut behind him. 

There's some general grumbling but everyone starts pulling on boots and jackets that were tossed aside the night before. Jaxis is glad that his wallet is still in his jacket, thought if he'd known he was going to up and leave the planet and join a Ravanger crew he would've worn his better pair of boots. 

Tommin is leaning against the wall, scrolling through a tablet as they file out. “Remember this room,” he warns. “It's where you'll be sleeping.” He shoves the tablet into a pocket of his long, red leather coat and pushes off the wall. “Let's go. If you don't get down to the mess quick, you won't have time to eat before chores.”

Jaxis is rubbing sleep out of his eyes when he hears running footsteps pounding down towards them. Tommin steps nimbly out of the way of the kid, (a kid? On a Ravanger ship?) but Jaxis' half awake roommate doesn't move in time and they clip shoulders. 

“Watch where you're going!” the man snarls, and Jaxis feels himself cringing away and it's not even directed at him.

The kid seems unfazed. “You watch where you're going.”

“Late again, Pete?” Tommin asks and the kid's scowl melts away as he looks back over his shoulder. The guy he ran into's scowl deepens at the obvious dismissal.

“Yeah, it's Kraglin's fault, freaky morning person who thinks exercise before breakfast is healthy.”

Tommin's grin widens, “Then you better get moving. I gotta get these settled, so I'll see ya around.”

The kid, Pete, raises a hand in farewell before jogging off again and skidding around a corner. 

“Someone ought to teach that brat some manners.”

Tommin was just about to start walking again but he pauses and looks back at the man, “What's your name?”

“Tolus.”

“Well, Tolus, a word of advice for you? I'd leave the kid be.” He starts back walking, Jaxis stumbling a bit in his effort to keep up.

“What, you're his protector or something?” Tolus sneers.

Jaxis is at a decent angle to see Tommin roll his eyes. “Kid can protect himself for one.” He shoots a look back over his shoulder. “Look, we need the recruits is the only reason I'mma tell you this, otherwise I'd just let the fallout happen when you decide to do something stupid,” he shrugged, “It's usually entertaining and it can get real boring around here sometimes.” 

His face went serious. “Couple months ago we got a new recruit, Marz, took a dislike to Pete off the bat, don't know what the original issue was, but it escalated. One day the guy corners Pete in a storage room on level 5, guess he thought he'd teach Pete a lesson.” Tommin pauses and lets another pair of crewmates pass before continuing. “Kraglin found them. Pete was all beat to hell, but Marz had a four inch knife sticking outta his neck, and some kinda electric burns all over his face.”

“He killed him?” Jaxis finds himself asking, thinking back to the kid he'd just saw, couldn't have been more than twelve. He wasn't sure of the kid's species though.

Tommin shook his head, “Nah, but by the time Kraglin drug his sorry ass in front of the captain and the captain made a _lesson_ of him? I'm thinking he'd wished the knife had done the job proper.” The man shuddered.

Jaxis slanted a look at Tolus, who still looks pissed off, but he keeps his mouth shut. They finally make it to the mess and Tommin directs them to get food and find a seat.

Two months later, Tolus disappears off the ship. Considering they were orbiting Clarius V at the time, Jaxis is pretty sure the man didn't leave the ship voluntarily. 

XXX

Jaxis has been a Ravenger for six months now, he managed to earn his own leathers and flame and while he wouldn't say he has _friends_ he at least has no enemies. 

He is sitting in the mess, eating the unidentifiable mush that was dinner. He's pretty sure it's got meat in it, though he's hesitant to even guess which species the meat comes from. Tastes decent enough.

“I'm telling you, he didn't mean anything by it.” Quill sets his bowl down at the table Jaxis is sitting at with a nod before turning back to Kraglin. 

They both settle on the bench across from Jaxis before Kraglin says, “The holes in my arm say different.”

Quill rolls his eyes hard. “Holes, for the love of – you've bled more in a training session with Pete!” He takes a bite of his food before adding. “Ya just scared him, man.”

“I was tryin' to help.” Jaxis wouldn't say the man looks pissed, just disgruntled.

“You grabbed him.”

Jaxis' watches Kraglin glare at Quill for a few heartbeats before the man slumps. “Yeah, yeah. Can' really blame 'im.” He shakes his head and then his eyes land on Jaxis.

“You're Jaxis right? Been on for what, a couple months?” It's an obvious subject change but as Quill starts digging into his food, Jaxis jumps to answer.

“Ah, yes, sir. Er, it's been six months.” 

Kraglin looks thoughtful. “Righ', you came on with that one guy, wha'is name – eh, don' matter he's gone anyways...yeah, I guess it's been tha' long already. How ya likin' life on board the _Eclector_?”

Jaxis doesn't have to fake the smile. “It's been exciting.”

Quill raises an eyebrow, “Y'all been doin' something interesting when I'm gone?”

Jaxis shrugs, a little embarrassed, “I'd never been off my home world before,” he admits, “I guess just being out in space is exciting.” 

He expects to get made fun of, he does not expect the understanding smile. “Space _is_ exciting.” Quill agrees.

Kraglin snorts as he stands, bowl now empty. “Hopefully no' too excitin' tonight,” he pins Jaxis with a look, “Ya on duty tonigh' too?” Jaxis nods. “Alrigh' I'll see ya in a few.” He swings a leg over the bench before adding, “And Quill. Tell 'im I'm no' mad.”

Quill nods and Kraglin walks off with a wave. As soon as he's gone, Quill turns to him with, “So, what's your favorite part so far?”

XXX

Night duty is really rather boring work. He's mainly there to fetch anything for anyone who is actually in control of making sure they don't go off course or die during the night. Kraglin is currently the only other one on the flight deck and he's half asleep in the pilot's chair so Jaxis keeps himself entertained by watching the stars streak by in the windowscreens. 

The sound of little feet on the deck have him looking over to see Rocket, bundle of cloth in his hands, make his way to the pilot's chair. Kraglin doesn't move from his slouch, “Whatcha want, kid?”

Rocket tosses his bundle into Kraglin's lap then crosses his arms and pointedly looks out the front windowscreen.

“This gonna explode when I open it?” 

The question's asked a lot more seriously than Jaxis would think and it makes him eye the thing Kraglin is carefully holding.

From where Jaxis is standing he can see Rocket roll his eyes. “It shouldn't.” 

“Well, tha's _real_ comfortin'.” But he unwraps it anyway and a smile tugs at the corner of his lips when he sees what it is. “Is this?”

“Had to make some adjustments,” Rocket warns, “It's not exactly what you were talking about, cause, you know, _physics_ , but I figure it's pretty close to what you were looking for.”

It just looks like an ornate knife to Jaxis, but he figures there's probably something more to it. 

“It's beautiful.” 

Rocket scoffs, but in the next breath his climbing up into the chair and starts explaining in words that go way over Jaxis' education so he decides to go back to watching the stars.

XXX

The music is so loud he can feel it in his teeth, the smoke and lights making the hole in the wall club feel more like a fever dream and he sticks close to Kraglin, a bit afraid to get lost in the crush of bodies. He's about to suggest heading to the bar to get a drink, when Kraglin's previously content expression drops sharply into a scowl. 

_The man can cut through a crowd_ Jaxis thinks as he tries to keep a step behind, half tempted to reach out and grab the back of the man's jacket so he's not left. 

He's two steps behind the man so he doesn't actually hear what's said, but the pretty, green skinned girl is widening her eyes, shaking her head and already leaving the table in the corner by the time Jaxis makes up the distance. 

He wants to ask what that was all about, and he might actually be able to hear the answer as there seems to be a sound dampener around the table, but Kraglin's still got an irritated look on his face and Jaxis has survived the Ravengers for a year because he knows when to keep his mouth shut. So he just leans against the counter height table and waits.

It doesn't take long, though he's even more confused to see Quill walking back to the table, two drinks in hand and an irritated look on his face.

“What did you do?”

Kraglin shrugs, “You're friend said she had to leave, so nice of ya to buy us drinks.” He's taking the drinks out of Quill's hand before the man can protest and thunks one in front of Jaxis.

Jaxis looks from one glaring man to the other before deciding to compromise and wrap his fingers around the glass, but he sure isn't drinking it. Quill seems to dismiss him for more important things after a second anyways, and Jaxis' tries to tell himself he didn't just breath a sigh of relief.

“Alright, Krags, what the hell? This is the fifth time in three bars and even I can see a pattern eventually so, what the hell?”

“Don' know whatcha talkin' 'bout.” The man is not even trying for sincere.

Quill throws his hands up in the air, “Cut the shit. Why do you keep running off my potential hookups? Especially this one…” Quill slumps against the table forlornly, “She was beautiful, and _compatible_ and laughed at my jokes, and I didn't see a single tentacle, and – ”

“An' she weren't Cap'n.” Is Kraglin's fierce reply.

Quill looks stunned and Jaxis really wished he could slink away now but that hope gets dashed because, speak of the devil.

Captain takes the drink out of Jaxis' nerveless fingers and downs it. He makes a face and quirks an eyebrow down at Jaxis, who is now pinned between him and a scowling Kraglin. “Wha' the hell are ya drinkin'?” he doesn't wait for an answer before asking, “Tell me again why I can' kill Liganon?”

Quill's got a look of dawning comprehension but it's Kraglin that answers, “'Cause his brother is willin' to pay five times as much for a job jus' so he can brag about using a Ravanger faction.”

Captain opens his mouth but what ever he was going to say get drowned out by Quill.

“The crew thinks we're fucking!”

“You're not?” At the glare he gets, Jaxis clicks his teeth together so fast his canines scrape his lip. He's saved from trying to explain by a sound of understanding coming from the captain and Quill turns his glare away from Jaxis.

“ _Oh?_ What _oh_?”

Captain shrugs, “Ya remember the first morning ya were on the _Eclector_?” Quill nods sharply. “Well, Tazorface was making _comments_ about just why I'd bring ya aboard.”

Quill blinks.

“An' I killed him,” he adds flatly.

“And so...”

Captain rolls his eyes. “I guess they thought I was protectin' ya honor or somethin', not tha' I just wanted a reason to kill the bastard.”

“Half the time ya sleep in the cap'n's quarters,” Kraglin points out.

Quill rolls his eyes. “You try sleeping in a bunk with Pete, Rocket and Groot.” 

“Huh.”

Captain tilts his head to the side and asks, “What brough' this on anyways?”

Quill points an accusing finger at Kraglin, who snaps his teeth at it good naturedly, all irritation gone. “He's been cockblocking me!”

Captain blinks at this for a second before a grin spreads across his face. He leans around Jaxis to clap a hand on Kraglin's shoulder. “Tha's my man.” Kraglin practically preens.

Quill throws his hands up and groans. “I am going to find another bar and go get laid.” He announces to the table, “And all of you suck.”

**Author's Note:**

> Part III! These guys are just too much fun to write :) Thanks for reading!


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